Blockchain Malware Scanning Before Block Addition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Blockchains are vulnerable to malware, which can propagate viruses and anomalies, compromising their immutability and data integrity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing malware and anomaly detection systems that scan new blocks before addition, allowing for rejection, removal, or bypassing infected blocks, and managing encryption keys to prevent access to malicious data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If blockchain data is made immutable, then data integrity is improved, but vulnerability to malware propagation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts malicious code from the blockchain by creating a separate malicious code repository. When malware is detected in a block, the malicious code is removed from the blockchain and stored independently in the malicious code storage, while the blockchain itself maintains its immutability. This allows the blockchain to remain intact while preventing malware propagation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a malicious code storage as an intermediary component between the blockchain and the network. This separate storage acts as a mediator that holds malicious code isolated from the blockchain, preventing direct propagation while allowing the system to track and manage malicious code separately.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If malware is removed from blockchain blocks, then malware propagation is prevented, but blockchain immutability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the malicious code portions from infected blocks and stores them separately in the malicious code storage, while preserving the original blockchain blocks unchanged. This extraction approach allows malware removal without altering the blockchain's immutable structure, as the clean blockchain references are maintained while malicious content is isolated elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the blockchain system into two separate components: the immutable blockchain containing clean data and references, and a separate malicious code storage containing extracted malicious content. This segmentation allows the blockchain to maintain its immutability while the malicious code is managed separately, preventing propagation without compromising the blockchain's integrity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If blockchain consolidation with bypassing is performed, then malware impact is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a consolidation manager as an intermediary component that handles the complex tasks of detecting malware, identifying affected blocks, performing consolidation, and managing bypasses. This centralized mediator simplifies the overall system architecture by consolidating multiple security functions into a single management layer, reducing the complexity distributed across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary consolidation and bypass setup before malware can propagate extensively. The consolidation manager proactively identifies and consolidates infected blocks, and pre-establishes bypass mechanisms so that when malware is detected, the system can quickly redirect traffic away from infected blocks without complex real-time decision-making during an outbreak.
Data Source
AI summary
A request to add a new block to a blockchain is received. Data associated with the new block is scanned to identify malware and/or an anomaly. In response to identifying the malware and/or the anomaly in the data associated with the new block, an action is taken. The action includes: rejecting the request to add the new block to the blockchain, or removing the malware/anomaly from the new block and adding the new block to the blockchain. In a second embodiment, a malware event is identified that identifies malware/an anomaly in a block in a blockchain. In response to the malware event, an action is taken. The action includes: consolidating the blockchain, bypassing the block in the blockchain, consolidating the blockchain and bypassing the block in the blockchain, and deleting an encryption key that was used to encrypt the associated data that comprises the malware and/or the anomaly.